


Patience Above All Else

by Lt_Kickbutt



Series: Climbing the Ladder [7]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Car Chases, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-10
Updated: 2016-03-10
Packaged: 2018-05-25 20:47:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6209503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lt_Kickbutt/pseuds/Lt_Kickbutt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roman and Neo enlist the help of Yang Xiao Long as the stakes of their adventures rise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Enlistment

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys and gals! I spent a ton of time on this story actually. A lot of thought went into the emotional climax so let me know if I hit the mark or if there was aspect you feel I missed.

                 Trembling Yang hit the replay button. The voice of her Uncle Qrow voice boomed out of her earbuds. He was with another woman completely foreign to her but talked as if she knew her. She knew about Beacon, about Ruby, about Summer Rose, and about her father. This couldn’t be a ruse. The way she and her uncle talked, the way she drank his booze, and the secrecy of it all.

                _“It is time Yang and I sat down together. She needs to know about-“_

                The recording stopped again and again she hit replay. Roman Torchwick flanked Yang to her left sipping his drink and waiting for her reply. On her right sat his partner Neo, but Yang never knew her real name until tonight. Neo stirred her gin and tonic with a cocktail straw with one hand at her hip. Their corner booth smelled of pine and lime as they schemed after hours in Junior’s silent club.

                After how easily Roman got off with the Consul for courting Cinder Fall no crook in Vale wanted to touch him, and by having Roman here Junior proved to everyone he was out for good.  All eyes in Vale were on Roman’s every move but no one admitted it, otherwise they risk tipping off Cinder and facing reparations themselves. Attention had become the newest sensation for the pair who were being catapulted from fixing bets to espionage. Tonight, like many other nights lately, Neo wondered if Roman could still be two steps ahead of everyone or if she had strapped herself to a sinking ship. Roman must have noticed her discontent because Neo couldn’t emote at all without Roman picking up on it. He rarely got her wrong anymore, but for the first time in her life that wasn’t the problem. Shaking her head no became an ordeal every time he asked her if something bothered her.  

                Roman’s stubbornness bothered her more than anything. No matter how bad things had gone before or no matter how far they would sink Neo knew she would happily follow Roman anywhere. Convincing Roman of that proved to be a herculean feat. Attempting to explain, even in writing, Neo could not completely unseat her partner’s fear.

                “There is more of the conversation of course, after you help us with a job.”

                “How much more?” Pulling out her earbuds Yang franticly asked.

                “About a forty minute discussion about you specifically, and another hour of conversation. You can have it all. If you help us.”

                “What is the job?”

                The first smile of the night crept across Roman’s face, “we need your bike outside, and the best driver you know.”

                “And what will I be doing on my bike?”

                “In four hours an armored truck will be transporting a rare dust crystal across town to the airport onto a plane bound for Atlas. We are going to intercept the truck on route, and take its cargo.”

                “All of that for a single dust crystal?”

                “Don’t worry about what we’re getting out of this, Goldie. Decide whether stopping this truck is worth what I am offering.”

                “And I’ll have to work with little miss quiet?”

                Gritting their teeth both Roman and Neo exchanged looks before answering, “We’re all going to be working together, all nice like.” Yang watched as Neo took a long swallow of her gin.

                With a smirk she spoke to Neo, “Just because we work together doesn’t mean I’ll take it easy on you in our next fight.” Yang jumped in her seat as Neo bust into animation for the first time tonight, sarcastically begging her for mercy.

                “Underground fights are old news now. No one bets against Neo anymore.”

                Winking Yang couldn’t contain her smile, “They do when I fight her. Come on, let’s set up a fight. Could be a huge payoff.” Yang playfully threw her elbow into Neo’s shoulder. Rolling her eyes Neo did manage a smile in response.

                “Can we just focus on the job?! We don’t have much time.” Roman pulled out a map of the city and spread it across the table. Scribbled across it was the truck route with important spots circled. Neo leaned into the map in front of Yang as Roman started to explain the plan.

                “Okay. So the truck is going to start here and will take this path to the airport. We need to redirect them to this location.” Roman traced his finger on the map, tapping the end location. Yang leaned back in the booth losing interest in the plan. Trying to explain as concise as possible Roman remained completely enthralled with his map, but Yang caught Neo glancing at her partner’s hands, back up to his eyes, and back to the map. Neo leaned even further forward passed Yang’s space and Yang’s smirking transformed into genuine smile for the pair.

                Yang raked her fingers through her long hair and finally interrupted Roman’s planning, “I think I got it. Let’s just get this over with. I don’t want to be seen with you.”

                Standing up from their booth Yang and Neo stood side by side in front of Roman. “Alright ladies, play nice. We’re splitting up here so I can set up the trap.” Neo’s face dropped with a sigh and looked up into Roman’s eyes. Of course it didn’t go unnoticed by either of her cohorts, “Yang. Do you mind giving us a minute?”

                With a nod, “Yeah, sure.” Yang backed up a few paces and rocked back and forth on her heels, looking around nonchalantly. Roman stepped forward and embraced his partner. He waved his finger at Yang to tell her to turn around.

                “Are you going to be okay?” Taking Roman’s hand Neo placed it against her heart and returned the gesture. Then moving her hand up she reached up to his cheek, smiled, and shook her head once. “I’m sorry, I know that’s not the problem. I do know I worry about you too much now. Let’s just get through this job without any mess-ups. That would be a nice change of pace.” Nodding Neo tried to turn around but Roman placed his finger and thumb on her chin. Turning her head back towards him he lifted her chin up and pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes widened before settling into her kiss. Roman kissed her with an excitement that had gone missing for weeks, breaking only for the moment to grab a breath of air from out of her mouth. Neo tilted her head and slid her tongue into her partner’s lips as her cheeks flushed red. When the kiss finally broke her lips quivered and his hands shook as they looked back at each other with the wonderful taste of too much spit in their mouths.

              Turning around Yang was staring directly at the pair with a wide grin across her face. Neo crept towards her red faced but with her head down. In Neo’s attempt to ignore Yang she got caught completely by surprise when the eager blonde threw an arm around the small woman’s shoulder and pulled her close.

              Neo tried to pull away but Yang held her close and said her piece, “Aww you guys are really cute! Like, you’re both assholes, but you’re each other’s assholes!” She continued to walk Neo out to her bike as Roman took a different exit, “The scrawny guy with the long haircut isn’t my thing, but you two are cute.” Neo bit down on Yang’s exposed arm causing her to yelp and let go.

              “Jesus. And they say I fight dirty.” Yang rubbed her arm and threw Neo her helmet. Yang threw her leg over Bumblebee and straddled the bike. She reached out and helped Neo onto the backseat. Neo’s arms dangled at her side as the bike started and revved up. Reaching back Yang grabbed Neo’s hands and placed them around her waist and sped up. Neo pressed her fingers against Yang’s toned midriff and clung to her backside. Yang’s muscles flexed in Neo’s hands as she turned onto the bypass. Blushing Neo traced her fingers around Yang’s abs but the blonde didn’t flinch revving up and speeding off to their destination.


	2. Sting Like A Bee

Yang leaned against Bumblebee as they waited for their mark. Neo sat on her hands on the curb and avoided looking at Yang for the sake of the job. The pair remained mostly silently as they waited but the silence gnawed at Yang’s boredom.

“Do you two normally do things this dangerous?” Neo scoffed through her nose and nodded staring across the street. “Why not just fight? You’re a good fighter. A great fighter. The money is great in that pit.” Neo turned her head and stared for at Yang for a full minute. Pulling out her phone she tapped furiously and turned the face around.

_Do you really want to know?_

“Sure. Why not?” Yang plopped down next to Neo on the curb and smiled.

_The danger doesn’t bother me._

“Well, what does bother you? It looked like something was wrong back at the club. Besides me I hope.”

_Having to type out everything I want to say. Or wave my hands around. And still be misunderstood. Having no friends because just communicating with me is a chore._

“How do you and Roman communicate then? How did you meet?”

Neo giggled openly and silently as she typed on her phone. She spent several more moments then usual typing out her story, when she finally flipped the phone Neo had a smile on her face.

_He saved my life. But afterwards he never asked me to write anything and refuses to learn sign language. He used to just guess at what I was thinking every time my face moved, or I exhaled. He just used to bash his head against all these attempts trying to figure me out. It was tedious and annoying sometimes, but no one had ever tried so hard. So I let it continue and in time we came up with our own language._

Yang put her hand over the phone and set it down, “Show me some!”

Neo thought about the task with her chin in her hand. She looked up at the night sky and rubbed up and down her arms rapidly before leaning into Yang’s chest.

“It is cold tonight.” Neo’s face lit up with a smile. Neo grabbed Yang’s hands and put them to her face, her cheeks were indeed chilly and Neo rubbed the top of Yang’s hand until they were hot.

“Uhh…So you want another kiss?” Yang smirked as Neo rolled her eyes and sat up.

_You’re warm._

“I run really hot. It’s part of my charm. This is fun.” Neo shrugged with a frown and twiddled her thumbs together.

Yang looked at her watch and stood up, offering Neo a hand up the pair mounted Bumblebee and right on que the armored truck turned the corner. Allowing for a safe distance they began to tail the truck. The driver and passenger were accounted for, but no one knew how many guards were in the back. The turn for the reroute was coming up, Neo tapped Yang on the shoulder and she turned the throttle, with a roar Bumblebee slid right up alongside the truck. Neo raised her parasol and started putting bullets into the side of the truck. The truck swerved a little but regained composure. The driver took a hard right to try and shake them but the agile motorcycle kept right up. Like a snake chasing wounded prey Yang and Neo took shots at all three side of the truck, all the while able to avoid any return fire and keep on them.

Bullets whizzed by the girl’s heads but Yang at the helm stay calmed and collected. The pair was in complete sync on when to duck, when to lean, and when to shoot. One never got in the way of the other, their understanding coming from half a dozen fist fights over the past few months. Punches traded had made them closer than either of them wanted.

Yang feigned going right and the truck took a left at an intersection, heading right to Roman. Two blocks ahead of them Roman waited with the necessary fire power to burst the truck open. As the truck sped closer Neo took up her gun and shot out the tires on their side. The truck wobbled like jello as the driver tried to wrest back control. With a screeching halt the truck came to a stop followed by Bumblebee. Yang ran to the front seat where she held the driver and passenger at gun point with Ember Cecilia. Meanwhile Roman, dressed in his white suit and bowler hat, dragged out his battering ram he had for the job and set it to work against the rear doors.

 After multiple swings the doors flung open and greeting the pair were four men dressed in combat armor who unloaded rounds into Neo’s waiting parasol. Before she lowered her guard to go attack Roman reminded her, “Remember, don’t kill these guys. Were on probation.”

The four guards jumped out of the back and went to attack Neo. With a smile she evaded every attack from these second rate huntsmen and with precision took out knee caps, knocked them out cold, and sent one running away scared. Roman jumped up into the back and claimed his prize. He held the yellow crystal above his head and inspected while Neo watched on.

Pleased with their theft Roman and Neo walked around the truck to see Yang brutally punching the driver across his face as she held him in place. “What the hell is this? What happened?”

With her face flushed red Yang looked up and swayed a bit of hair from her face, “I was just roughing him up a bit. That’s what you guys do right?”

Roman and Neo looked at each with stunned faces before Neo doubled over in laughter. “I’m surrounded by crazy people.” Springing to her feet Neo rushed over to Yang who flinched unaware but Neo simply cuddled at her arm and looked up at Roman with a beaming smile.

“She likes me now!” Yang let go of her victim and embraced Neo, with blood still on her fist.

“That’s great Goldie, and we got what we wanted so as promised…” Roman reached into his pocket and held out a flash drive, “this belongs to you.” Yang reached out and snatched up the flash drive, and Roman turned back to admiring his crystal.

“Hey, that’s my color.”

“Yeah I suppose so. It’s fitting you helped us steal it then.”

As Roman and Neo’s attention turned to the crystal Yang quietly reloaded Ember Cecilia. Throwing Neo off of her arm she lined up and fired a shot at the crystal Roman was holding eyelevel. Roman was only just fast enough, tucking the crystal into his gut and swinging around so the bullet landed square on the back of his head. He collapsed forward on the pavement, the back of his head beginning to bleed.

Yang rushed over to the body and turned him over. Making a grab for the crystal Neo’s boot came soaring in and collided with her jaw, sending Yang a meter away from Roman. Neo grabbed at Roman, checked his breathing, felt the back of his head, and cried as he felt limp in her arms.

“Get out of here! GO!” Yang yelled to the driver and passenger who promptly got to their feet and ran. Neo’s tears turned to rage as she got up and approached Yang. Yang stood back up and took a fighting stance. “I can’t let you take that crystal. Whatever you need it for, it can’t be good.” Neo’s face remained unchanged as she got set to charge.

“Wait! We don’t have to fight!” Yang dropped her guard trying to convince Neo, “I see you love him, I know he means a lot to you, but he will get you killed. Now is your chance, come with me, I can protect you, Ozpin can protect you. There is so much good to be done-“

Interrupting her Neo lunged her knee into Yang’s gut, who had just enough time to put a hand in the way. Neo grabbed at Yang’s precious hair and pulled her head close and chomped down on Yang’s throat. She screamed and hollered as she shook Neo off of her. Disengaging from Yang Neo spat out the bit of skin and blood she tore off. Unsheathing her blade from the end of her parasol Yang clutched her neck and looked on in horror. As the fierce girl approached Yang she cocked her weapon and threw her first punch. Undaunted Neo let the fist land square on her nose. A cloud of smoke and blood covered Neo’s face before she moved.

Throwing her leg up onto Yang’s extended arm Neo used all her strength to drag the blonde to the ground. Clamping her arm between her thighs Neo forced Yang to swing franticly at Neo’s backside and legs with her free arm. Neo’s nose and face dripped blood as she took up her blade and slashed at Yang’s trapped right hand. After four or five cuts her palm opened and she dropped the flash drive with her mother’s conversation. Yang screamed as she couldn’t move her hand anymore, throwing punches at Neo but it might as well have been granite.

Neo picked up the drive and moved to straddle Yang’s chest between her legs. On her knees Neo took the flash drive and shoved into Yang’s mouth when she let out a scream. Gagging furiously Neo pushed the plastic drive down her throat. Tears welled up in Yang’s eyes from the gaging and she choked out a pathetic “Oh God…” before her throat convulsed and she swallowed the drive whole.

Neo had her blade an inch above Yang’s eye when they heard a cough from Roman. Overcome with urgency Neo jumped off of Yang and rushed to her partner. Still unresponsive she shouldered the dead weight and escaped using her semblance to the nearest hospital.  Yang rolled onto her side, she tried shoving her finger’s down her throat, but gave up when her gagging didn’t let her reach far enough to puke. She managed to drag herself back to Bumblebee where she phoned out to the rest of team RWBY.


	3. Repairs

Roman awoke with a jump. He lay on a single bed under a single lightbulb. “Good you’re awake. My name is doctor Cobalt. I was passing by on my morning run when I found this girl hulling you around half dead.” The doctor moved aside and behind him sat a haggard, bandaged, concerned looking Neo. Tears started streaming from Roman’s face as Neo ran over to him. “Sir, do you remember your name?”

“Uhh…Yeah. Roman Torchwick.” He sniffled out trying to stop crying. The doctor looked at Neo who nodded.

“Do you remember this girl’s name?”

“That is Neo. She’s my partner.” Again Neo nodded.

“Well, at least there is no memory loss. It took eight stiches but we got you sealed up. Had to shave your head though.” Roman felt the top of his head, it’s smoothness beyond strange to his touch. Neo smiled with tears in her eyes as she reached over and gave his head a rub. A large gauze bandage covered the back of his head and down his neck.

“Take some time here and get your bearings, but this is my home and I don’t know what you two have been up to. Please leave in a timely manner, and we’ll forget we ever saw each other.” The doctor exited the room.

“What happened?”

Neo punched her palm in her fist and ground it with deliberation. Then she crossed her arms at the wrist in an x with her finger pointed.

“Fucking Goldie. God damn self-righteous types. You know she’s no better than us! She fights for money. And _fun._ How boring.” Roman settled down, rubbed the back of his head again, and rubbed the bandage across Neo’s nose. “You fought for me?”

The girl nodded and placed her hands on her partner’s face. Roman rolled away from her touch, “You didn’t have to do that. If that happens you should give up the crystal, there are others we can steal. She could have killed you.”

Neo’s gaze dropped, she slid her rejected hands slowly to the side of the bed. Grabbing ahold of the bed she snapped. Snarling she shook the entire bed violently. Roman turned back around to see Neo, nostrils flared, glaring at him and taking all of her frustration out on the bed.

“What are you doing?!”

Neo grabbed up the single blade razor they used to shave Roman’s head and held it up pointed at Roman. Roman’s eyes widened but Neo’s shrank as she blinked away the tears. With a silent scream she turned the razor on herself and sliced across her chest, just below her collar bone.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Roman jumped out of bed and grabbed the smaller Neo wrestling the razor out of her hand. Neo’s blood covered them both as Roman dragged her onto the bed with him. Neo didn’t struggle as Roman pinned her to the bed, holding her in his arms.

“DOCTOR HELP!” Roman held Neo’s face in his blood stained hands, her off colored eyes moved and met his. Neo stared him down and knew that she couldn’t move for him. A blink, a sigh, a whimper, they all communicated something to Roman but they would only get in the way of trying to communicate the unexplainable and the irrational.

“Are you trying to kill yourself?! Do you want to die?!”

If she had to. But Neo stared on motionless. Her chest throbbed a searing pain but she stared on. The doctor threw open the door and strode into the room in a panic. The doctor reached the bed to see the blood splatter. Reaching out he placed a hand on Neo to roll her towards him.

“Wait!” The doctor froze. “I need her. Just like this.” Neo swallowed and the lump in her throat bobbed.

Roman held up the razor between their faces and examined it for several moments before whispering, “It’s love, but I’ve never asked you how much. Maybe I was afraid I couldn’t match.” Neo blinked for the first time since lying down, “You love my plans?” She nodded, “And all the late nights?” Nodded again. “The shitty safe house with the noisy heater!?” Neo smiled and nodded. Roman’s excitement faded, “Being thrown out of an airplane?” Neo’s smile dropped but again she nodded. Grabbing Roman’s shaved head Neo pressed their foreheads together.

“I can’t read your thoughts even if you want me to...But there has been one question I’ve been too afraid to ask and didn’t want to have you write it out for me anyway. When you fell out of that airplane, and were free falling away from me, what was the last thing you were thinking about?”

Neo pressed her lips against Roman’s as tears streamed from her eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! All comments, qualms, quandaries, and curse words below please!


End file.
